


snow — bound to melt

by arvyn



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Medical Student Shirabu, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Relationships, Slow Burn, bartender semi, right person wrong time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28761795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arvyn/pseuds/arvyn
Summary: “Are you coming?” echoed a voice from down the hall.Shirabu was waiting at the entrance, leaning against the wall to balance himself while putting on his boots. Snowflakes were falling daintily outside, blanketing everything in white. The situation seemed unreal, but the grey suitcase standing by the door made it evident. After all these years of coming and going, staying and leaving, and hurting and loving.It was finally happening.Semi turned to take one last look at the apartment which was now engulfed by the darkness. It wasn’t any different from the moment when he first laid his eyes upon it, nor was it any less lonely during the time they spent together. Etching every single detail into his memory, hoping that they would one day return, he began to leave without turning back.“I’ll try not to be so slow.”
Relationships: Semi Eita/Shirabu Kenjirou
Kudos: 16





	1. down to forget

**Author's Note:**

> hi !! this is my very first time writing and posting on ao3 ! i know that it's not the best but i hope that there will be someone out there who reads my writing and hopefully likes it c: it was inspired by the song 'snow' by ricky montgomery !

Semi felt a vibration in his pocket as his phone buzzed, notifying him about a new message. 

He had just gotten off a late-night shift at the bar halfway across the city. It would take at least an hour to get back to the apartment. The bustling city was now silent except for the quiet humming of car engines, almost as if a spell was cast upon them.

It was a rough night of breaking up bar fights and listening to the struggles of his customers while they drown their sorrows. It wasn’t something he enjoyed doing, but according to others, it was something that he was a natural at.

Life had been harsh Semi up until this point. With his parents out of the country and nothing left behind for him, he’d been secretly crashing at his friend’s dorm in college. Trying to keep up with classes was already difficult enough for Semi, he couldn’t possibly take more time out of his day to work a part-time job.

Luckily, he knew the right people at the right time.

It’s been almost 7 months since Semi began working at Tendou’s bar. His friend had taken over his parent’s business after graduating from college and needed an extra hand or two. In exchange for working during ungodly hours and with conditions that weren’t the best, Tendou offered a place for Semi to stay while paying him for his assistance.

Tendou considered himself clever after hiring Semi as a bartender because he knew how attractive and popular he was among the females. He was bound to increase the number of regular female customers. What others didn’t know about Semi was that he’s never been in a relationship and that he wasn’t interested in anything of that sort.

People would never expect that Semi had soft hair because of how unkempt it was. If you run your fingers through his lovely ash-blond hair that appeared to be grey, the strands would grow darker as you reached the tips.

His eyes were captivating. It was as if you were peering into a dark, murky lagoon, but if you stared for too long, the darkness would swallow you.

The worst part of it was his smile. With the slightest smirk, this man would have everyone wrapped around his finger. The number of customers coming to see him was appalling.

Semi was a dangerous man. 

———

Wiping the final cocktail glass and placing it back on the shelf, he spun on his heel and began to make his way to the staff room to grab his belongings.

As he pushed the saloon-style doors to the back, he shoved his hand into his apron pocket in search of his phone. Semi sat down on the worn-out couch and propped his legs up on the coffee table that was littered with empty coffee cups, an ashtray, and cigarettes. 

Oftentimes than not, he would be in possession of a pack of cigarettes, but he would never be caught smoking. He was exposed to peer pressure and had friends that smoked and consumed drugs at a young age, but he never gave in to it. 

No matter how convincing his friends were, Semi has never smoked a single cigarette because he couldn’t find any joy or meaning in it. He was the type to put in the effort wherever it was needed, nothing more.

He couldn’t be bothered to impress anyone.

Although the couch had rips and stains, it was comfortable enough for the bartenders and staff to rest. To make sure that the couch wouldn’t collapse beneath him, Semi slowly shifted from his position to lay down with his head on the armrest, looking up at the ceiling.

He held his phone above his head as he unlocked it with a combination of letters and numbers, careful not to drop it flat on his face. Ignorant to the dim lighting of the bar until exposing himself to the blue light, Semi blinded himself as he scrolled through his phone.

It became an unhealthy habit of his to end his shift and spend hours afterward in the break room. He would be awakened by his obnoxious alarm set for 6:30 in the morning in order to depart before Tendou came to start the day.

Unfortunately, this meant that he woke up after a few hours of sleep with a sore neck and back from sleeping in a cramped position on the couch. It was nothing new or different compared to the nights spent at his friend’s dorm in college.

Semi was distressed with intrusive thoughts that didn’t seem like it was leaving anytime soon. Talking to Tendou was out of the question; he couldn’t burden him any more than he already did. He didn’t have anyone to talk to and no one to call ‘home’.

“I’m here if you ever need me, Semisemi!” He often found himself coming back to Tendou’s words whenever he was lost in his thoughts.

He found comfort in knowing that there was at least one person there for him. 

Except, this time he felt as if he was alone.


	2. evergreen wasn’t such a bad dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey hey! i don't have much to say but i hope that you enjoy this short chapter!

Reaching for his phone, Semi stretched out his arm in an attempt to turn off his unpleasant alarm. It took a few seconds of tapping and feeling around the coffee table before he could find it. He prepared himself before turning on his phone to check the time.

The brightness on his phone made him flinch in irritation, holding his phone further away from his face. It took a few blinks for Semi to return to squinting at his phone.

6:34 am. Time to get going.

After repositioning himself on the couch, he closed his eyes for a moment and focused on his breathing before springing to his feet. 

He did a quick stretch in hopes of making his body feel relaxed when in reality, it only helped him realize how sore his muscles were.

Not too long after, he was already out of the building. Waiting by the bus stop was Semi’s favourite part of the day. The streets were full of office workers on the phone and babies in strollers crying. It may have been loud and a nuisance, but Semi appreciated anything that would stop him from drowning in his thoughts.

Semi lived a monotonous life. Waking up early every morning in order to get things done so that he could work late into the night. If he wasn’t working, he would either be studying or figuring out how to live on his own.

Living with Tendou came with responsibilities as well. He was appointed as the homemaker of their apartment because Tendou was never home. Even if he was, he couldn’t be trusted with anything. Semi was in charge of the cooking, cleaning, and washing.

There was one thing that bothered Semi. 

Working late hours at the bar and only spending time in the apartment, he rarely got to see his roommate around. It was reasonable that Tendou would be at home while Semi was at work, but he wondered where the redhead was at during the day.

It felt inappropriate to pry. After all, Semi and Tendou agreed on respecting each other’s boundaries. He was going through difficult times, but Tendou never said a word about it.

———

There was nothing but silence and darkness that greeted Semi when he arrived at the apartment. When Semi walked through the doors, it didn’t take him more than a few steps until he slumped against the wall.

It was too late for him to turn on the lights. His body was drained from working multiple night shifts lately as well as the lack of sleep he’s been getting. Slowly, he was slipping away into a deep sleep once again.

Suddenly, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

“Semisemi? Are you back at the apartment already?” Semi didn’t bother to look at his phone to answer the call. All he needed was to accept it using his fingerprint recognition. He had a feeling it was Tendou, one of the few people that had his phone number.

“Mhm. Just got back,” he mumbled. His eyes were still closed, trying to relax his body and slow his breathing. He laid his hand on the floor by his side, allowing Tendou to speak freely while on speaker.

“Semi? Can’t really hear ya, is your connection okay?”

“Yeah, just on the floor,” there wasn’t a need for him to lie about that. It was normal for Semi to be resting in various places around the apartment—especially the bathroom.

“At least you’re not sitting in the bathtub like last time. I’m pretty sure you sleep there more than you do in your own bed,” Tendou spat out before bursting with laughter.

“Shut up, Tendou. Wherever you are, you’re probably disturbing the people around you. Plus, the bathtub is cold and feels nice,” Semi rolled his eyes at Tendou’s last comment.

“Well, here’s the thing, I’m actually outside of the city right now. Kinda, I dunno, got caught up with an old friend of mine and now I’m staying with them for a while.” Tendou sounded hesitant but his confidence made the words roll off of his tongue smoothly.

“Let me guess, you want me to take over at the bar until you return?” It was a hassle and a difficult job, but Semi knew that he couldn’t say no. Not after everything his friend has done for him. He felt as if he owed everything to Tendou, but that feeling felt wrong as well.

“Yes pleaseeee! Semisemi, I knew I could count on you!” Before Semi could respond or even react, he heard another shout from the opposite end. “I gotta go now!! Toshi is already waiting for me! Thank ya for taking over and try not to miss me too much!”

Seconds later, the call drops, and Semi is left alone with his thoughts again.

At least this time he was accompanied by the sound of the phone beeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! i've been trying to motivate myself to write so kudos are appreciated <3 !! i hope that i can eventually finish this work even if it takes me a while !


	3. things aren’t as plain as they seem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 3! hope you guys enjoy :)

Running off of 4 hours of sleep and two cups of coffee within the same hour was not worth staying up later than Semi should have.

The nice thing about working at the bar while Tendou was gone was that he was able to open up later. Even though this meant that Semi had the choice to sleep in late and take his time getting to work, he decided not to.

I can’t slack off now.

He arrived at the bar around 1pm, almost an hour before it opened.

Although Semi wasn’t the brightest student in school, he wouldn’t let himself become lazy and waste away. That was the only thing that kept him going. Not Tendou, not his family, not his dreams, but because he didn’t want to be a failure.

I may be a disappointment now, but I absolutely cannot let myself drop even lower.

Semi spent his time before opening by cleaning the counters. It was his least favourite thing to do, but he had to do it. Despite how much he hated seeing his own reflection, he couldn’t stand the thought of what could have touched the counter and what bacteria could be on it.

His day went by quickly like usual. Working for 6 hours before his first break, politely rejecting girls who would ask for his number here and there, and wasting his time by scrolling through his phone. Semi hated everything about his daily life, but he was grateful that he even had it.

His day was dull. Nothing ever happened. None of the customers ever caught his eye and if he had to be honest, he hated interacting with them. The way they look at him as if he reciprocated their feelings. The way they would ‘accidentally’ bump into him for an excuse to talk to him.

It’s disgusting.

This cycle kept repeating and eventually became his life. It was what he did for a living. He didn’t enjoy it and there were many things he wanted to change, but what could he have possibly done?

It was too late for him to change anything. Too late for him to go back to school for further education. Too late for him to begin seeing new people and hopefully finding the one for him.

That’s what he thought until he saw a short brunette enter the bar.

———

Time stopped.

For some reason, Semi turned his back on the male that had just entered. His hands cleaning the shot glasses clumsily as he worked his way through the finished drinks.

He couldn’t help but occasionally stare at the short-statured customer. There was nothing special about him and he didn’t particularly stand out. In fact, he was difficult to spot in the crowd because of how small he was compared to the crowd.

Semi found him interesting — until he heard a sound he was all too familiar with.

The lively bar died down as everyone in the vicinity turned toward the group at the opposite end. Inhaling deeply, the ash-blond bartender left the counter and made his way to the center of the commotion.

“Terribly sorry for the disruption everyone,” Semi repeated, as he bowed and waved his hand as an apologetic gesture to each table.

Apologizing was not Semi’s forte, but it was no different than lying to him. As long as people were satisfied with the words that came out of his mouth, he had no difficulty saying them. 

“Gentlemen, I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you continue to disturb the customers in our bar.” He smiled as the words rolled off of his tongue smoothly. 

Semi was a sweet talker and he knew it. It was something he would always use to his advantage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! <33 kudos are appreciated lots!! this chapter was really short but i hope i can write more in the future :)

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading ! first time writing brain go brr — hopefully it wasn't too bad,, let me know if the length was too short ! i pray that i will not abandon this work ksdghkdhs kudos, comments and feedback are appreciated <33


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